Kansas CHW Infrastructure: How Federal Funding Changes Could Impact Workforce Sustainability

Understanding the Current Landscape for CHWs in Kansas

On March 25, the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) was informed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that multiple COVID-19 era grants, including the Community Health Workers (CHW) for COVID Response and Resilient Communities Grant (CCR), also known as the CDC 2109 grant, were prematurely terminated. According to an HHS report, $5,561,668 was initially awarded to KDHE for the CCR grant. KDHE reports that $379,692 of this grant has been impacted by the early discontinuation of funds. This grant had been a key support for the state’s Community Health Worker infrastructure. Its discontinuation has led to notable operational changes, including the cessation of administrative and coordination support for the Kansas Community Health Worker Coalition (KCHWC) from the Wichita State University Community Engagement Institute (WSU CEI). Although KCHWC remains active, it is undergoing a transition as it identifies its next steps.   

CHWs serve as a critical bridge between communities and the health system—particularly in underserved areas. Their deep community connections allow them to build trust, improve communication between patients and providers, and reduce barriers to care. This has made CHWs effective partners in improving health outcomes, lowering costs, and advancing health equity..  

In Kansas, the scope of practice for CHWs encompasses several key roles, all supported by their core competencies in connecting individuals with needed health information and services. They provide personal support for goal setting, coordinate care by connecting individuals with necessary services, and serve as culturally informed liaisons connecting clients, communities, and health care systems. Additionally, they deliver culturally relevant health education and actively advocate for the health needs of both individuals and their broader communities. 

In the last decade, Kansas has advanced formalizing its CHW workforce through multi-sector partnerships, development of standardized training curriculum, and the launch of a voluntary certification program. These efforts have laid the groundwork for deeper CHW integration across care teams and reimbursement systems throughout the state.

How Kansas Built Its CHW System

CHWs have been active in communities for decades, long before their formal recognition at the federal level in 2010 through the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and by the U.S. Department of Labor. In Kansas, they serve in paid and volunteer roles across diverse environments, including local health departments, federally qualified health centers, schools, social service agencies, faith-based organizations, and neighborhood associations. Kansas CHWs work in urban, suburban, rural, and frontier areas (Figure 1), often having lived experience that allows them to build authentic relationships with the communities they support.

Figure 1.  Kansas CHW Coalition Map 

Source: Jolly, Sarah & Rankin, Alissa. 2024. Kansas Community Health Worker Workforce Assessment. Accessed on May 6, 2025, from https://kschw.org/map-workers/.

For example, a CHW in Sedgwick County may help a new mother in accessing prenatal care and nutrition programs, while another in rural Thomas County could help an older adult resident manage chronic health conditions and navigate transportation services. CHWs played an important role during the COVID-19 pandemic, delivering education, facilitating testing, and connecting individuals to critical services. The  Communities Organizing to Promote Equity (COPE) program amplified this impact through coordinated CHW deployments statewide.

According to Kansas Community Health Worker Coalition (KCHWC) registry data, there are 318 certified CHWs in Kansas with active status. In its recent workforce assessment, KCHWC surveyed Kansas CHWs to better understand the current landscape of the workforce—including their roles, employment status, training needs, and challenges they face—to inform future support and resources. Responses were received from 136 CHWs, serving clients in all 105 Kansas counties. The Kansas CHW Snapshot, highlighting information from this assessment, provides key insights into CHW practice. The data reveals a largely certified and full-time workforce operating across health care and non-profit settings, oftentimes in collaboration with other health care professions. 

Since 2016, Kansas has taken steps to formalize and support the CHW workforce. The timeline below outlines key milestones in that development.

Figure 2.  CHW Timeline in Kansas

Source: Rankin A., Caide-Schneweis, K., Lady, D., and Saleski, E. (2022). Path to Community Health Worker Certification and Information Provided by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment.

When the CDC launched its CCR program, Kansas was positioned to scale up CHW efforts in alignment with the grant’s outlined goals due to the foundation developed by Kansas CHWs and their partners over the past decade.

How CCR Funding Supported CHWs in Kansas

Overview of the Grant 

The CCR initiative, funded through the CARES Act and launched in August 2021, aimed to reduce disparities in COVID-19 related services by scaling up and sustaining a nation-wide network of CHWs to support the COVID-19 response in communities impacted most by COVID-19. During the grant period, CDC awarded approximately $100 million across 67 organizations, including state and local governments, tribal organizations, and academic institutions across three components of funding each focused on different components of developing, sustaining, and innovating CHW infrastructure.  

Kansas Award Details  

KDHE served as the sole recipient of CCR funding for Kansas, a Component B award set to expire on August 30, 2025. Organizations receiving component B awards had approximately three years of partnership experience with CHWs within their communities and were positioned to improve and expand existing CHW efforts. To expand the CHW workforce, support coalition efforts, and aid the COVID-19 response, KDHE collaborated with key partners, WSU CEI and Mid America Regional Council (MARC), and a non-funded partner, KCHWC supported by WSU CEI.

Despite a five-month early termination and rescinded award amount of $379,692, progress was made. Key accomplishments during the grant period include the April 2022 approval of Kansas CHW Certification and the July 2023 Medicaid State Plan Amendment (SPA) for CHW Reimbursement, establishing CHWs as recognized and reimbursable members of the care team. 

These milestones were made possible by braiding funds from the CCR grant with additional support from the CDC National Initiative to Address COVID-19 Health Disparities Among Populations at High-Risk and Underserved, Including Racial and Ethnic Minority Populations and Rural Communities grant (CDC 2103), allowing KDHE to expand its reach. This integrated funding approach was applied to each sub-recipient agreement, amplifying the initiative’s community and system-level impact. 

According to KDHE, the braided grant funding also increased CHW training, with more than 350 individuals completing the CHW Core Competency course in English, alongside pilot programs for a newly translated Spanish version and a course at Garden City Community College, expanding accessibility across the state. CHWs also received training in specialized areas, empowering them to contribute to community-based programs across multiple health promotion efforts.  

KDHE also shared that during the grant period, CHWs made 39,409 referrals across 13 sites in 10 counties, connecting 5,071 individuals to primary care services, 12,022 individuals to food resources, and 4,196 individuals to insurance programs, highlighting CHWs’ vital role in navigating health systems, bridging care gaps, and addressing social determinants of health in Kansas.

What Could Come Next for Kansas CHWs

The early termination of CCR funding and the resulting transition of key CHW infrastructure partners have created uncertainty for the future of CHW workforce development and sustainability in Kansas.  

Transition Planning and System Support 

KDHE has contributed to CHW workforce development efforts in Kansas through multiple roles over the past decade.  

Building on the progress made, KDHE reports it is focusing on the following key strategies to work toward ongoing development and sustainability of the Kansas CHW workforce:  

• Continuing to inform healthcare organizations about Medicaid reimbursement and other reimbursement options for CHW services, along with providing billing support.  

• Offering customized technical assistance to organizations seeking to establish or strengthen CHW programs, recognizing individual needs and circumstances within each request.  

• Supporting the integration of CHWs within healthcare settings through adapted processes and training, aiming for their sustained inclusion in organizational budgets.  

• Expanding the network of community partnerships established by CHWs, connecting healthcare with non-medical resources like housing, nutrition, and transportation.

The Role and Status of the Kansas CHW Coalition

The KCHWC remains active, and according to an email communication shared with coalition members, is in the process of making adjustments following the conclusion of its administrative support.  The Coalition has played a key role in engaging CHWs statewide, supporting leadership development, helping shape professional standards, providing educational opportunities for CHWs, and credentialing CHWs. The Coalition’s ability to adapt to current operational conditions may shape how certification, communication, collaboration, and resource sharing continue across the CHW network.

Implications for CHW Sustainability

Over the past decade, Kansas has made significant progress in developing its CHW infrastructure through establishing its coalition, implementing training and certification, and implementing Medicaid reimbursement. While the loss of the CCR funding underscores the long-standing challenge of relying on temporary or categorical funding for this foundational workforce, key supportive elements remain in Kansas. CHWs helped shape credentialing and oversight policies through a workshop convened by KDHE; Medicaid reimbursement became a reality following collaboration across KDHE divisions, CHWs, and other key stakeholders; and KDHE has also tracked CHW claims data and was in the process of implementing processes to support providers. 

The new Medicare Community Health Integration (CHI) and Principal Illness Navigation (PIN) services offer an emerging opportunity for a sustainable funding stream for CHWs, but fully leveraging these benefits may require stronger partnerships between providers and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs). Some states are exploring models such as Community Care Hubs to help CBOs manage administrative demands to support CHWs and the CBOs that employ them.  

In Kansas, where CHW certification is currently required for Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement, continued access to certification may influence eligibility for reimbursement from both programs. While Medicaid and Medicare reimbursement for CHW services may offer ongoing, institutional support that can help reduce reliance on short-term grants and bolster long-term workforce integration across sectors and care settings, reimbursement from public programs alone may not sustain the CHW infrastructure in the long term.

Looking Ahead 

As Kansas transitions beyond CCR funding and looks ahead to long-term sustainability, the CHW landscape will continue to evolve. KHI will share additional updates as new information, stakeholder insights, and policy developments emerge. 

Funding for Hill to the Heartland is provided in part by the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans, a Topeka-based philanthropic organization with the mission to serve as a catalyst for improving the health of Kansans. KHI retains editorial independence in the production of its content and its findings. Any views expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect the views of the Sunflower Foundation.